Ford Focus Estate 2009 1.6TDCi 110, 120k miles - Focus 1.6TDCi Power loss

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Mon 9 Dec 2019 16:15
Ford Focus Estate 2009 1.6TDCi 110, 120k miles - Focus 1.6TDCi Power loss - mattoau

Hi All,

Some advice please.

My car has been and is suffering from power loss. This can be anything from a small but noticeable blip when using cruise control at 70mph on the motorway, to a more noticeable drop when accelerating, which is similar to tapping the brakes. At it's worst, under heavy acceleration, the engine loses all power and refuses to run. Fortunately if this happens if I turn the ignition off and restart the engine, then it runs as it did before, although the problem is still there.It is possibly worse when the engine is cold, but I would say much more related to amount of acceleration, regardless of speed or gear.

I drive relatively gently so it isn't much of an issue in everyday use, but of course losing all power and having to restart the ignition on the motorway is something I would rather avoid. Being a 10 year old Ford with 120k miles I don't imagine this only happens to my car, so would hope that someone else here knows of the problem and possible solutions.

This is the most modern car I've owned, and only the second diesel. Although I have been able to troubleshoot problems with all of my previous vehicles, this one is not as easy to solve as I would have hoped. From looking for similar problems online, my best guess is that this could be due to a faulty throttle position sensor, but it would be nice to gain a few second or third opinions before embarking on a journey to fix something that may not be the cause of the issue.

Thanks in advance.

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Mon 9 Dec 2019 18:05
Ford Focus Estate 2009 1.6TDCi 110, 120k miles - Focus 1.6TDCi Power loss - elekie&a/c doctor
Modern common rail Diesel engines are a very complicated piece of engineering. A slight deviation of a running parameter is enough to cause a problem . There’s no throttle position sensor on these, but there is a pedal position sensor. Next step would be to get the engine control system checked for any faults logged . Also , don’t forget a blocked fuel filter could give you the same symptoms.
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Mon 9 Dec 2019 18:28
Ford Focus Estate 2009 1.6TDCi 110, 120k miles - Focus 1.6TDCi Power loss - mattoau

Thanks for the reply.

I have replaced the fuel filter, and also run through injector cleaner, however the symptoms persisted. A local garage connected to the control system, but no obvious fault was found. It's a fairly well established garage and they seem professional enough, should I get a second opinion elsewhere? Is it worth getting my own reader? Will the cheaper versions I see available tell me the information I need?

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Mon 9 Dec 2019 19:03
Ford Focus Estate 2009 1.6TDCi 110, 120k miles - Focus 1.6TDCi Power loss - elekie&a/c doctor
Cheap code readers are only generic devices and unlikely to give specific info for your engine . Without any codes logged, this could be a tricky fix. Might be worth inspecting the inlet air pipe work to the turbo and inter cooler , just in case there are any air leaks .
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